My mouth dropped open as I began to pant. As a bear, I could only sweat from my paw pads, and they were already drenched. My thick fur—my protection from the cold—was now a curse. It weighed me down like an unwanted blanket.
“You must be Rorik,” the horrible-shirt man greeted cheerfully. “I’m Gaius, the host of the Dragonfate Games. I usually don’t introduce myself so soon, but…” He chuckled. “I couldn’t help but notice you struggling. Need some help?”
My head swam. I had to focus. Concentrate on the mission.
“How do you know my name?” I growled, still covering my face with my paws as I adjusted to the brightness ofeverything.
Gaius flashed a casual grin. “Oh, I know everyone’s name.”
I never asked questions back home, but this was not home. I had to gather all possible information, even if that meant breaking my own ingrained training.
“Why?” I demanded.
Gaius chuckled. He was oddly calm for a human speaking to a seven-foot-tall polar bear.
No.I remembered Sheba’s debriefing.He’s not human. He’s a shifter—some kind of creature called a gryphon.
I narrowed my eyes. Gaius wasn’t a dragon, but he worked for them. He was still my enemy.
“I peeked at all the contestants’ files,” Gaius said with a wink. “I was curious when I saw we’ve got a polar bear this time around.”
My muscles stiffened as I went on guard. I had a file? How much did he know about me? How much did the dragons know?
“What does mine say?” I asked cautiously.
Gaius tilted his head in thought. “Rorik, no last name listed, age twenty-four, polar bear omega… That’s all I remember.”
My shoulders relaxed. That was basic information.
“So, no last name, huh?” Gaius went on casually. “Is Rorik a stage name, like Madonna?”
I didn’t know what he was blabbing about. “No.”
An amused expression stretched over Gaius’s face. He wagged a finger at me. The gesture was strangely playful, not admonishing. “Ooh, you’re tough and serious, aren’t you, big guy? Don’t worry, I’ll get you to crack a grin by the end of this season.”
I watched him warily. What was he planning? I added Gaius to my mental list of suspicious individuals to watch out for.
“Let’s get you out of the sun before you bake alive,” Gaius said. “Do you know where the hotel is?”
My ears perked. Sheba had mentioned I’d stay in a tall building called a hotel. I hated to admit ignorance, but I shook my head.
Gaius seemed excited to escort me. “Come this way.”
I nodded dutifully and followed the weird man, though I was careful not to look directly at his eye-searing shirt.
“So, are you excited to potentially find your fated alpha?” Gaius asked cheerily.
His unexpectedly long-legged strides combined with the burning hot sand beneath my paws made it difficult to keep up. Determined not to look weak in front of this strange man, I dropped to all fours to quicken my pace.
Then I realized he was awaiting my response to his inane question about fated alphas. I opened my mouth to say ‘no’ before biting my tongue. My entire mission rode on this lie. I had to act like I believed it.
“Yes, sir,” I said instead, trying not to sound stilted.
Out of nowhere, Gaius guffawed. “Sir? Nobody’s called me that in—well, forever!”
He didn’t press the topic, so I assumed he’d accepted my answer. I relaxed slightly.
Although the hotel wasn’t far, the heat was disgusting. My poor ears were about to shrivel to dust. By the time we reached the building, I was open-mouthed panting, desperate to cool off.
